Trump, Republicans give up on GOP health care bill

Unable to convince GOP lawmakers to get on board with a plan to overhaul the Obama health law, Republicans in the House decided not to even force a vote on the measure, a major setback for both President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

“This is a setback – no two ways about it,” said Speaker Paul Ryan, after he told GOP lawmakers that there were not enough votes.

“I will not sugarcoat this; this is a disappointing day for us,” Ryan added. “We came really close today, but we came up short.”

The bill never even came to a vote, as it became obvious that Republicans had nowhere near a majority of lawmakers ready to vote for it.

It was a stunning derailment of the Republican plan – central to their campaigns of recent years – to repeal and replace the Obama health law; the GOP plan had been unveiled on March 6 – and just 18 days later it was running aground.

Some Republicans though said the GOP should not give up, arguing it’s time to push forward to find a real solution on health care.

“I believe this bill will come back to the floor in a way that bridges philosophical gaps and stays true to the deliberative process so vital in producing good legislation,” said Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC).
Democrats were more than happy to pile on the GOP legislative debacle.

“This is a win for the American people,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME).